By: MJA

Facebook is the largest one-stop-shop of consumers that offers small businesses the opportunity to target consumers at a granular and local level. Where better than to submerge a your business through a Facebook Business page to connect, engage, influence and make an impact with local consumers and customers.

Getting your business on Facebook and other social media properties as Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and others, all have their place and purpose. You here business owner conversations at local cafes or seminars about getting your business needs to be on Facebook, starting with a Facebook Business page. But why? (see graph inside)

The answer is simple. Social media marketing is an evolving environment, as as it grows, consumers are gripping and integrating it into their daily lives. The majority of consumers are connected in some way - whether on their computers or tablets at home, at the office and on the go with their iPhone and Blackberry. Facebook and social media has become part of their daily lives, and with Facebook now boasting (at time of writing) 800 million active Facebook users, the growth and adoption of Facebook by consumers of all ages is substantial.

Facebook offers businesses a central place, or marketplace for that matter, to reach, connect and influence consumers at a granular and hyper-local level. No other cost-effective marketing medium offers this 'marketing power'.

Small businesses will come to realize Facebook is not a one-size-fits-all. Each business should understand how it can best work to their benefit, how it aligns with their goals and how any marketing investment can be measured.

A good starting point that almost all businesses will find is getting on Facebook with a Business Page. A Facebook Business page offers elements that their regular website does not, and is a seamless way of integrating the business to connect with new consumers and customers.

A social media strategy that also utilizes social profiles as a Facebook Business page, and the social engagement around the brand in the social media space, has begun to show significant impacts on Google search engine rankings. As a strong believer in a holistic internet marketing strategy, this example clearly shows how brining onboard a social media strategy Google and other search engines evaluate a websites ranking.